Forever
WELCOME TO WEEK 3
How long do you wait for your pizza to cook? Does it sometimes feel like it is taking forever? When your mom promises you a treat for making good grades, do you always get the reward right away? Does it seem to take forever? God promises are not always immediate, but He never forgets them. God will always keep His promises even if it seems like we are waiting a long time. This week we will see how Abram had faith and waited patiently for God to keep all his promises.
BIBLE STORY
t’s fun to travel and stay in fun places like a hotel, villa, or a tent. Some trips we take are a lot of fun and some places are every day trips we take in life that are not so exciting. People often go online and rate their trip with stars to say how much they enjoyed their time there. Listen to the following trips and rate how much you think you would enjoy going. Give it 5 stars if you think it would be awesome, 3 stars if you think it would be good and 1 star if it doesn’t seem so exciting. Alternate option: instead of printing stars, use 2 thumbs up, 1 thumb up, 1 sideways thumb.
Visit the Grand Canyon
Going to Disney World
Taking a trip to the grocery store
Visit grandma
Going on a camping trip
A trip to hike the mountains
Visiting a local animal shelter
A trip to the zoo
A trip to the Amazon Rain forest
A hike in a nature reserve
Visiting Yellowstone National Park
Seeing icebergs in Alaska
Going to Niagara Falls
Fishing on a lake in a fishing boat
Some trips are more exciting than others, but we all enjoy going out and seeing new things. Abraham was sent on a trip from God, but He didn’t even know where he was going. Abraham was not sure what the new place God sent him to would be like, but He obeyed and left everything behind. He trusted God would bless him in this new place. Let’s read and listen to the promises God made with Abram and intended to keep right then and in the future.
Read or listen Abrams story in Genesis 12:1-3, 15:1-6
Where did God send Abram? (To the land God would show him)
What did Abram leave behind as he followed God? (His country, father and people)What promise did God make to Abram? (He would make him into a great nation and bless him)
What did Abram say he needed for God’s blessing? (Children of his own)
Who did God say would be Abrams heir? (His own son, of his own flesh)
How many offspring did God promise to Abram? (As many stars that were in the sky)
What was Abrams response to God’s promise? (He believed G
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Abram had faith that God would keep His covenant with him and God did. Even though Abram didn’t receive all of his blessings right then, he had faith that God would keep his promise throughout the generations that followed him. God gives us promises now that might not be fulfilled until much later, but we can have faith that God will always keep his promises, even when it feels like we are waiting a long time.
Activity
Play this version of “Slap Jack”. Print and cut the following cards distribute as evenly as possible among the players, to remain face down. Participants sit in a circle, one player flips their top card over in the center of the circle to reveal the picture on their card. Each player takes their turn flipping over their top card onto the deck. The object of the game is to slap the “Star” card. The first player to slap the card with a star on it, picks it up as well as all the cards underneath it and adds them to their own pile face down. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins. It was hard to wait patiently for a star card to appear and then try and slap it first. Sometimes we have to wait for the things we want. Abram waited for the blessings God promised him, but God did not forget his promise. He not only blessed Abram but he also blessed his family in the future.
Materials: printed slap jack cards
Alternate
Abram trusted God to lead him to a place where he had never been and didn’t know where he was going. God had a plan and a direction for Abram to follow, and Abram moved in the direction God called him to go. Let’s go for a blind treasure hunt. Your partner will guide you where you need to go in order to find each star. Print and cut out 5 stars to hide in various areas around your house. Then give left/right, up/down, directions to your partner to guide them to find each hidden star. Only give directional clues but not clues as to what room to go into. Once all 5 stars are found, switch places and have them hide the clues and guide you to the stars.
Materials: printed 5 stars, blindfold
Independent activity:
Complete this activity sheet, write in the blessings God has given you on each star, or write the family members God has blessed your family with. God gave Abraham descendants that were as numerous as the stars. God gives us blessings and people that are often too many to count. Write or draw a picture of the blessings God provides you and your family.
Materials: printed activity sheet
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Where did God ask Abram to go?
Who did Abram leave behind as he went to this unknown place?
Do we have to travel to a far off place in order to follow God’s instructions?
How can God ask us to have faith where we live right now?
What blessings did God tell Abram He would give to him?
What are some of the blessings God has already given you?
Is it easy or hard to follow God when we don’t see His blessing coming true right now?
Practical Application at Home
God’s blessings to Abraham did not stop with him but was passed down through generations. The people of Israel were in Abrahams family and God’s chosen people. We see in the bible that God did not just choose to bless the people of Israel, but anyone who believed in the God of Abraham was accepted into God’s family. There are several stories in the Bible of people who became part of the people of Israel not by birth but by choice. We are a part of God’s people because our belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ. We are also heirs in God’s family, accepted and redeemed.
Ruth, Rahab and Naaman are a few examples of people who came to faith in God because they witnessed the blessings of Israel. What can you do to share God’s blessings with other people? Make a list of your blessings from God. When you are tempted to complain or grumble this week, read and say your blessing instead of your grumble.
See if you can change these complaints into statements of blessing:
I can’t play outside because of the rain….We are blessed to receive rain for our garden
My friend can’t come over to play today…I am blessed to have a great family to play with
We can’t go to the store and buy a new toy…
My favorite outfit is still in the dirty clothes hamper…
Summer is almost over…
I didn’t get to go on vacation this year…
My mom didn’t buy my favorite cereal this week…
My shoes are not the latest style…
I don’t have my own cell phone…
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Donate to a local food shelter or toy drive this Christmas season. As a family, volunteer together or pick out toys you think another child your age might enjoy.